The present invention relates to a roller belt arrangement for a caterpillar track-type vehicle, especially a snowmobile, having one or more inextensible belts that extend parallel to one another and to which transversely extending driver or gripper means are secured with the aid of securing means in the form of bolts, screws or rivets that extend through the belts and a base of the driver or gripper means, such base having a U-shaped cross-sectional shape, with the two legs of the base extending essentially perpendicular to the belts, and with the crosspiece that connects the legs extending in the longitudinal direction of the arrangement.
With heretofore known roller belt arrangements of this general type, that end of the securing means that faces the driver or gripper means is provided with threads for receiving a nut that rests against the crosspiece of the driver or gripper means. When heavy loads are encountered, and also when the load or stress lasts for a long time, the danger exists that the securing means can break or fail in the vicinity of the transition to the driver or gripper means, with such failure being caused by stress concentration and shearing effects.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve a roller belt arrangement of the aforementioned general type in such a way that failure or premature wear of the securing means is at least to a great extent reduced, and hence securement of the driver or gripper means is ensured.